by Hao Yang
“I don’t follow.” Jason said innocently.
“Most of new guys asked a lot of questions before they even sat down.” Elen said kindly.
“I was too surprised to come up any questions.” Jason said honestly.
“So what do you do?”
“Actually I am a trainee in Guardian Fleet training center.”
“Guardian Fleet? I see.” Elen said in surprise.
Just at this moment, a lady walked into the room. She looked like in her 40’s, wearing a white blouse and blue pants. She also looked like Human, with a pair of almond like blue eyes on a heart-shaped face, but her blonde hair was more like Glycan’s.
Jason looked at this elegant and beautiful lady, and then he realized she and Elen were from the same species.
The lady walked to Jason and said, “We don’t usually welcome the new guy in this way. Most of them couldn’t take a nap like you did.”
“Thank you.” Jason said as he stood up.
“Relinee, I will leave him to you.” Elen said.
“Thank you, Elen.”
“See you, Jason.” Elen nodded at Jason and left.
“You are the commander of the superace!” Jason said in an admiring voice.
“I was.”
“When I was on planet Yuwtoow, I found your record.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“You want the Hylocan eyeball. Is that the reason you attacked the cruiser?” Jason asked directly.
“That is very straightforward. Before we attacked the cruiser, we didn’t know the cruiser carried that thing. Actually we just found out the eyeball. I was surprised.” Relinee said honestly.
“Then why you attacked the cruiser and how did you locate it?” Jason asked hastily.
“We received a distress call from the facility on Yuwtoow. We didn’t know who sent it, so I sent a fleet to check it out. However, when we reached Yuwtoow, the distress signal disappeared. Then later we received another distress call saying there were superace on the cruiser, so we attacked the cruiser, but we didn’t find any superace.” Relinee said in confusion.
“That didn’t make much sense.” Jason said and then he told Relinee what happened on that cruiser.
Relinee thought for a while and said, “You mean that eyeball did all this, including killing all the crew, the Glycan girl and sending the signals we received early.”
“Yes and I also think the eyeball wants your fleet to attack the cruiser.” Jason said confidently.
“I won’t jump to conclusion this quick. We are trying to analyze the eyeball right now, so we'll know soon.” Relinee said calmly.
“OK.” Jason nodded. He suddenly ran out of things to say.
“You probably think why we keep you alive. Don’t worry. We are not trying to seek anything from you.” Relinee said kindly.
“You just read my mind. You have that ability as well?”
“No.”
They both smiled quietly.
“Commander, can I ask you something? So you just live here and enjoy your life?” Jason asked cautiously.
“If you were at my position, you will revenge, right?”
“Absolutely!” Jason said decisively.
“I can tell. You remind me of General Michael R. Stonan.” Relinee said slowly.
“He is here?” Jason asked excitedly.
“Something like that. Take some rest then look around. You will find him.”
“Sure.”
“By the way, you can stay here as long as you want and you can leave whenever you want.” Relinee said kindly, and then left the room.
Jason knew his answer to revenge question might strike Relinee’s nerve, but that was what he would do.
Chapter 117
Liutein soon learned that the Estian vessels failed to bring Cruiser General Klizan back. At the same time, the 17 families coaxed some Glycans to protect against the royal families. Liutein quickly ran short on soldiers. He requested Estian to send troops to him. Since he still didn’t have the control over the fleets, he brought those Estian soldiers on Sylareon in cargo vessels and disguised them as Glycans using biological suits.
However, things went wrong when a team of Estians went outside the palace to monitor a protest which consisted of thousands of Glycans. One Estian’s biological suit malfunctioned and exposed his face. Driven by anger, Glycans clashed with Estians, which resulted in hundreds of casualties. The domestic security forces such as police and government guards quickly reacted to the clash and captured all Estians involved in the shooting. Even though Liutein had replaced the commanders of domestic security forces with his own confidants, but they didn’t stick with Liutein under the pressure from the public. It in turn triggered larger scale protests. On the other hand, as soon as deputy chiefs from the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth fleets learned about the crash against Estian, they all sent part of their fleets back to Sylareon. The officers sent by deputy chiefs immediately requested to meet their fleets’ commanders. Liutein and his subordinates made up some excuses, but none of the officers bought them. They clashed in the palace and Liutein had all of them killed. When the deputy chiefs lost the contact with those officers, they realized the gravity of the situation. They contacted other fleets right away. Now the deputy chiefs of Glycan fleets believed what General Kalan said before. Now all the fleets were heading to the assembly point at the outer layer defense line. They planned to drive the fleets from Estian, Oireitan and Uainanese away first. After that, they would decide the next step.
In the flag vessel of the Seventh fleet, Kalan just talked with other deputy chiefs on the communicator. He heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he lost the Hylocan eyeball for now, he achieved the same goal he wanted from using the eyeball.
“Finally, they knew I was right!” Kalan said happily.
“You were indeed. Liutein may want to save himself by trying to threaten your father’s life” Doensen said.
“I will save him no matter what.” Kalan said decisively.
“That is certainly the right decision, but every coin has two sides.” Doensen said with a mysterious smile.
“What do you mean?”
“I certainly hope General Klizan survive all these.” Doensen said politely.
“Come on. Don’t play jargon with me. Tell me what you think.” Kalan said in a relaxed tone.
“If something happened to him, someone has to step up to take his post.” Doensen said quietly.
Kalan was angry at first, but when he thought about it, he started to calm down.
“We always like heroes, but if every position was taken, heroes could only get some dust-covered medals and a five-minute fame.” Doensen said in distaste.
Kalan flashed a brittle smile and said, “That is true.” He stood up and strolled back and forth for a long while. What Doensen just said echoed in his head.
“How long will it take us to arrive at the assembly point?” Kalan asked coldly.
“About four hours.”
“Maybe we should make sure General Klizan is alive first.” Kalan said sadly.
“We should send in a team before any major movement. Just to be sure the well-being of all those generals.” Doensen said with an evil grin.
“I see. But the team should be given a more specific order such as…you know.” Kalan said slowly as if he was searching for the perfect word.
“The one giving the order is critical in this case. I will say he should be rewarded accordingly afterwards.”
“I agree.” Kalan said.
They smiled at each other quietly.
Chapter 118
After Relinee left, Jason didn’t take any rest but asked around in the neighborhood and he quickly found out where Michael R. Stonan lived. Right now he was walking on a trail into the forest. The wind was cool and gentle, carrying the breath of the forest. The afternoon light passed through trunks and branches, leaving a gentle touch on the ground. Birds and small animals wandered leisurely amon
g the trees. Jason couldn’t wait to see General Michael R. Stonan. He was the only second class species appointed as the commander of Guardian Fleet combat division, even though he passed away before his term could start. If he was still alive, he would be around 130 years old.
After about an hour, the trail ended at a garden the size of five football fields. It was a garden of trees. Some stabbed into the sky and some was only several meter high. Different types of flowers surrounded each tree. Jason could tell that someone planted those flowers deliberately.
Jason walked further into the garden and saw a superace watering flowers under a tree. He looked as old as Jason. He acknowledged Jason and introduced himself as Gennzan. Then he took Jason to General Stonan’s place. It was the tallest tree in the garden. Hundreds of red roses blossomed around the tree. There was no tombstone or anything to indicate General Stonan was buried here.
“When Relinee mentioned him, I thought he was alive.” Jason sighed.
“He is alive.” Gennzan said firmly.
“I guess that was why when I asked around, nobody told me he was dead.” Jason said slowly. He knew what Gennzan meant and he was happy for General Stonan.
Jason saluted and asked, “Why there was no tombstone?”
“If you remember somebody, you don’t need one. If you don’t remember, there is no need to have one.” Gennzan said easily.
Jason nodded.
“He loved red roses.” Gennzan said as he picked up some petals from the ground.
“If I remember correctly, he was buried on the moon.” Jason said in a questioning voice.
“My father said they believed General Stonan should have a better place to rest in peace. He saved my father and many others.”
“You are a superace, right?” Jason asked carefully.
“Yes.”
“How many survived?”
“56.” Gennzan said calmly.
Jason sighed. They stood there in silence for a long while. Then they headed back. Jason wanted to say goodbye to Relinee, so Gennzan took him to Relinee’s place. It was a wooden house just like others in the forest.
“This is it. It was a pleasure.” Gennzan said happily and then left.
Jason took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Relinee answered the door and said, “You don’t look like somebody who cares those formalities.” She gave Jason a kind smile.
“You are right. I usually don’t say goodbye.” Jason said in embarrassment.
“So, tell me. What do you want to know?” Relinee said frankly.
“I am wondering whether you find anything about the eyeball.”
“It’s hard to say. It seems the eyeball could think like a brain.” Relinee frowned.
“What are you going to do with it?”
“We are thinking about destroying it.”
“That is what I want to suggest as well.” Jason said happily.
They fell into an awkward silence.
“Alright, I will hit the road. I don’t know whether I should say see you or not.” Jason said reluctantly.
“I don’t know either. Jason, you might be a commander one day. You are still young and you couldn’t understand that a commander should put his emotion aside. Sometimes a war started from a person’s anger and ended with the death of millions.”
“Ah, that is deep!” Jason said carelessly.
They said goodbye to each other. While Jason was leaving the small neighborhood, all different species treated him as if they were seeing off an old friend. Jason liked this beautiful place, but he knew he could never enjoy a life like this. For him, it was boring and meaningless. Besides, he couldn’t enjoy this place without the girl he loved.
Chapter 119
When Jason went back to the training center, the guards immediately arrested him on site. They threw Jason in a prison cell right away. Jason realized the gravity of the situation. He knew this cell was not the black box in the training center. It was the prison cell of Guardian Fleet. These prison cells were only the temporary stops for prisoners to be transferred to the most heavily guarded prison Listan.
After a long while, Jason heard some familiar voices. As it got closer along with the footsteps, Jason could tell it was Titainein and Erikon.
Erikon slid open a slot on the door and said, “Jason, It’s me, Erikon. Titainein is here too.”
“Erikon. Man, how are you doing?” Jason said happily. He couldn’t see Erikon but could hear him through the slot.
“You see, that was his first question.” Titainein said sadly.
“Hi, Titainein. What’s up?” Jason said excitedly.
“Jason, you are alright? I mean physically.” Erikon asked caringly.
“Yes. I am fine. You guys know why they lock me here? I thought I will go to the black box in the training center.”
“Not yet, but we will find it out really quick.” Titainein said
“Two minutes.” A cold voice struck them. Jason realised that they were not alone. There must be guards accompanying Erikon and Titainein.
Erikon stuffed something into the pockets of the two guards. The guards smiled and walked to the end of the corridor, but still kept an eye on Erikon and Titainein.
“Jason, it is serious this time.” Erikon said in a worried voice.
“I know. If not, they won’t lock me here.” Jason said calmly.
“They might transfer you to the prison. We will pull some string to stop that.” Titainein said decisively.
“It won’t work. It won’t work.” Jason murmured.
“Jason! Don’t you give up.” Titainein shouted.
“I am not giving up. I know this is going down the drain and I don’t want your guys companies.” Jason said slowly, knowing this might be the last time he talked to his friends.
“We won’t let you down. I promise you!” Titainein said confidently.
“We can…”
“No.” Jason interrupted Erikon and said, “Listen, Don’t tell Gloria what happened to me. If she found it out, she will die to save me.”
“OK, we won’t tell her, but you know she will find out sooner or later.” Titainein said.
“Then tell her I am dead.” Jason said sadly. He knew this would broke Gloria’s heart, but it was better this way.
“Jason, Gloria will find…”
“Time’s up!” It was that cold voice again. The two guards walked to Erikon and Titainein and pushed them away from the door.
Jason heard them walking away. He suddenly remembered the promise he made to his father that he would be an officer in Guardian Fleet. Now it seemed so far away.
Two hours later, Jason ate his first meal since he was locked away. It was two pieces of bread and a small bowl of soup. He gulped them down in a blink and was still hungry. There was still some crumbs on the plate. While Jason was licking those crumbs, the door suddenly slid open. Six guards walked in with stone cold faces and rifles in their hands. Jason stood up leisurely. He knew it was the time.
Escorted by six guards, Jason headed to the hangar in chains. He never thought he would leave the Guardian Fleet in this way. The tight and cold handcuffs kept reminding him how real this was. Jason looked around, trying to capture every detail of whatever he saw. He wanted to remember all of these. At least, he could keep them deep in the memory.
Before boarding the space vessel, he looked back one time. Nobody was here to see him off. It was him and him alone.
Chapter 120
Prison Listan was actually a mobile mining facility previously owned by Gieoaio. During UWII, the nine species eliminated the entire species of Gieoaio and practically robbed everything Gieoaio had. They decided to keep Listan as a mining facility, but did some modifications which converted 20 stockrooms into prison cells. So now it was also a prison and all prisoners were mine workers. Whatever they harvested were split evenly among all nine species.
The vessel carrying Jason was about to enter the asteroid belt. Jason looked out of the
window and caught Listan sitting right in the middle of the asteroid belt. He remembered reading something about prison Listan. It was a Gieoaio-made small planet capable of catching asteroids and extracting materials from them. In order to survive the hostile environment, the outer layer of the planet was made by sponge like material and 500 meter thick steel net structure was right below it. It was so sturdy and solid that Gieoaio simply used it as a weapon to ram other fleets and broke their formation during UWII.
The vessels had a difficult time approaching Listan because of those moving rocks and wreckages. When the vessel got closer, Jason could see Listan swing its kilometers long tentacles, grab asteroids and swallow them. After a long and bumpy ride, they finally touched down on Listan. Jason slowly stepped out of the vessel. The chain on his ankles were cutting into his flesh. It hurt like hell at every step. Several guards took Jason to a processing room the size of a tennis field. In the room, there were some 10 guards hanging around leisurely. Three of them were Glycans and the rest were Estians.
An Estian walked to Jason and shouted, “Look, we got a new mother fucker here. Let me introduce myself first. I am Hwoei, the captain of guards. Do you have anything for me?”
“I only have this uniform on me. If you want, take it.” Jason said calmly. He knew exactly what Hwoei was looking for, but he didn’t have anything valuable.
“That is funny, isn’t it?” Hwoei said ironically as he looked around at other guards. He suddenly hauled out his baton and hit Jason’s belly. As Jason bent over in pain, Hwoei grabbed his neck and rammed the baton into his mouth, deep into the throat. Then he bunched Jason’s face again and again for about a minute.
Jason was trembling, his face swollen, his head bleeding. He curled up on the cold floor, gagging, his mouth still holding the baton.
“Honey, you owe me this time, so you will provide some service in the near future. You understand?” Hwoei said angrily as he kicked the baton.
Jason couldn’t make a sound.
“I will take it as a yes.” Hwoei said and pulled the baton out.